China demands South Korea remove THAAD defense system

A U.S. military trailer carrying elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system enters a golf course in Seongju, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, South Korea on April 26. Photos by Yonhap News Agency/UPI

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang issued a warning to South Korea the same day the U.S. military deployed THAAD parts to its designated location. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Thousands of people gather in Seongju on April 8 to protest the government's decision to allow the United States to deploy THAAD. Photo by Yonhap News Agency/UPI

April 26 (UPI) -- China demanded Seoul remove the U.S. missile defense system THAAD on Wednesday, after the U.S. military moved missiles and road-mobile launchers to a designated site in central South Korea overnight.

Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang condemned THAAD deployment during a regular press briefing and said the move "destroys the regional strategic balance and further prompts tensions on the Korean peninsula," South Korean television network SBS reported.

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THAAD undermines the national security interests of China, the spokesman said.

China's state-owned television network CCTV aired footage of South Korean protesters at the THAAD site, highlighting how the deployment is an unpopular measure among the activists.

The media also focused on progressive South Korean presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and his criticisms of the deployment, which presumably took place overnight to attract the least amount of attention from the public.

The ultimatum from China comes at a time when state-owned carrier Air China has resumed selling flights to North Korea, CNN reported Tuesday.